


High Tide

by LokiNeedsHugs1031



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Angels as Merpeople, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bisexual Dean Winchester, Bisexuality, Bottom Dean, Caring Dean, Caring Dean Winchester, Castiel-centric, CastielMermaid, Comfortably Bisexual Dean Winchester, Dean-Centric, Destiel - Freeform, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fin-kin, Fin-kin inspired, Hand Jobs, Human Dean, Human Dean Winchester, Hurt, Interspecies Romance, Interspecies Sex, M/M, Mermaid Cas, Merman Castiel, Merpeople, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Masturbation, Openly Bisexual Dean Winchester, POV Dean Winchester, Sam Ships It, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Top Castiel, Top Castiel/Bottom Dean Winchester, Virgin Castiel, destiel au, merfolk, mermaid Castiel, merman, merman cas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-10 21:43:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10448199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LokiNeedsHugs1031/pseuds/LokiNeedsHugs1031
Summary: AU where Dean works for Bobby's Fishing Company and he finds more than just tuna! Mer!Cas





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [casszepptraxx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/casszepptraxx/gifts).



> Please guys this is my first writing of these babies. I love merman!Cas This is dedicated to okapi427 who got me writing this! :D I'm obsessed with this fantasy stuff, not sure why but this is the fruits of said obsession! Hope you guys like!

            “The socket wrench Sammy, you do know what a socket wrench is right?” Dean groused from below the boats deck, his face was covered in oil and sweat. He’d made the mistake of wearing one of his favorite band t-shirts today, not thinking that Bobby would have him doing engine work on a day where temperatures were high and the air was humid, “You just had to keep choking the engine, didn’t you.”

            “I didn’t think it would cause this,” Sam frowned, wiping his own hands on his jeans as he passed the tool of which Dean snatched away quickly with a loud grunt.

            Dean cranked the tool, the signature metallic whirring as he did so filled the small, hot space. He wiped at his brow again, before hoisting himself up and sitting on the edge of the engine’s opening, “Try it again and if it doesn’t turn over don’t choke it!”

            “Alright, alright, geez,” Sam rolled his eyes, taking a seat behind the wheel and turning the key.

            Dean held his breath, whole heartedly believing he’d be under the hull for the rest of the day when the engine turned and began to purr, “Haha! Got it! Bobby better get off my ass I’ve worked overtime three days this week already!”

            “You bitching already? It ain’t even five yet,” the old man’s voice stopped Dean’s rant straight away, “You’d think you’d see it as a compliment. Not only are you good with repair, you know how to man the boat. Which reminds me, you better get your ass out there and empty the nets before high tide. You’ve forgotten twice this month and those asshats from across the bay have made a bundle off it.”

            “Well maybe if you pressed charges, they’d stop skimming off your catch,” Sam added with a smirk, “Ya know it is possible to do that.”

            “With what evidence, college boy?” Bobby shook his head, “How’re you gonna prove that the countless examples of acts of God didn’t empty those nets? Just, get out there and get the job done and save me the grief.”

            “Bobby come on, that’s a three-man job and you let Benny go early this morning!” Dean snapped.

            “Don’t get your panties in a twist. It’s along the shore near the main dock, that east cove, it’ll take ya an hour at the most!”

            Dean refrained from petulantly responding with a childish ‘fine!’. He knew he could probably get away with it, given that Bobby was the only dad he ever knew, but he held his tongue, “Going now _boss_.”

            Just as Sam was working on the rope to dismount them from the dock Bobby was barking again, “Not you boy, I need you to work on the books. Dean’ll be fine, like I said, a couple nets ain’t gonna kill’em.”

            “Sorry Dean,” Sam shrugged, tossing him the loosened rope and hopping down on the worn surface of the dock, “It’s either you go out on the water or numbers.”

            Dean shook his head rolling his eyes, “I’ll see ya for supper. You’re cookin’.”

            “Aren’t I always?” Sam smiled, “Be careful, tide is coming in and it gets rough in that east cove.”

            “Done it a thousand times Sammy I’m good,” Dean gave a salute and a wink and eased the boat from the dock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            The sky was getting grey, Dean noted, he was happy for the shade but there was always that off chance that an unscheduled storm would make an appearance. Not that he hadn’t ever experienced such a thing, but it still, none the less, unnerved him. Just as the thought struck him, flecks of moisture cascaded down the glass, only slightly marring his view. As soon as he saw the boats in their cove his blood began to boil, he wrenched the wheel around so if need be he could anchor against the shore. They hadn’t gotten to the nets yet but there was no other good reason they were hovering around the cove.

            The commotion he heard shortly after he didn’t expect, “We got a big one, hell yeah!” his blood pressure spiking he searched for the bullhorn, finding it tangled beneath the dash of the boat, pulling it free he lowered the anchor and hurried out onto the deck, “Hey! Assholes! You got thirty seconds to back the fuck outta here or I’m calling the coast guard!”

            “Dude, there’s something down there, might be a shark, it sure as hell ain’t tuna!”  
            “I don’t care what the fuck it is! Get the fuck outta here!” Dean growled, his voice echoing off the walls of the cove like thrown pebbles.

            “Suit yourself” one of them laughed, but it was carried away by the strengthening wind.

            “Assholes,” Dean muttered, he angled the boat closer to the rocky shore, but kept his distance in fear he’d ram the head of the boat directly into the edge of said rocky shore.

            That’s all he needed. The wind was picking up, he knew he should probably abandon this task and head home, but he could hear Bobby’s stern voice in his head and he figured, well, it wasn’t too dangerous yet.

            He raised the crane enough to attach the net hook and then pulled the crank to maneuver it over where the net was position, red buoys’ bobbing violently on the surface. He flinched when he noticed the buoys weren’t just idly moving with the waves, they were every now and again yanked below the surface. He lowered the hook, angling it towards what he believed to be the center and eased it into the water. He felt the signature tug and reversed the crank, the clinking sound of the chain wrapping around the wheel was nearly drowned out by the wind and rain. He heard the main rod groan with weight, well, that was unusual, he increased the speed and since the spokes weren’t smoking he figured he was safe.

            The haul was pretty decent and for once Dean was happy he’d gotten here first before the vultures. This would cost a pretty penny at the fish market, so much so, Dean knew this would get him a few days off. This had him smiling, despite the rain batting him in the face. He moved the net to the front of the boat and lowered it until the fish were flopping loudly on the deck. What he did not expect, however was the presence of fingers clutching through the small holes, fingers just narrowly making it through.

            “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” he shouted, instantly locking the crank and hurrying over to the vibrating net full of fish. He loosened the top that was much like a nap-sack and pulled it apart, the fish slid sideways away from the fingers. There he was greeted with a face, a human face, littered with cuts and bruises.

            “Oh God, oh shit,” had a scuba diver gotten caught in the net? That’s sure as hell what it looked like! He pressed to fingers to his neck and exhaled with a loud gasp when he found a thumping pulse, “Hey, man, wake up!” he patted his cheek, “Wake up!”

            No response.

            He pushed away, the large bodies of the flailing tuna, his eyes never leaving this man’s face, his dark hair a tangled mess. Once he was able to see his upper torso he realized the problem, his wrist was and upper arm was wrapped up and tangled in the thick rope of the net. It was bleeding and heavily bruised. How the fuck had he survived this? The net was down at least 20 feet and he wasn’t’ seeing any gear, “Dude, come on, wake up!”

            And just like that, his eyes were flying open and they were the most startling color of blue Dean had ever seen, alien even, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, you’re okay.”

            But the man wasn’t having it, he was tugging violently on his trapped arm, and his unconsciousness must have erased the fact that his arm and wrist was injured. He cried out, collapsing to the surface of the boat. Those blue eyes, wild and wet locked onto Dean, “N-No!”

            “You’re okay! I gotcha out! You’re okay!”

            “No!” he was shimmying backwards, towards the edge of the boat, but the net stopped him and he yelped, “Don’t hurt me!”

            Dean’s eyes went wide, hands out in surrender, “Hey, hey, not gonna hurt you!” the words fell fast and short on his lips as the ‘man’ moved sideways, tugging violently on his injured limb, when the fins emerged. Fins. Not legs. Not feet. Fins.

            “W-What…”

            “No!” the not man was screaming again.

            Blinking too fast and breathing far too erratically Dean gained his bearings as he peered down at the indigo scales of a torso, coupled with an equally green and blue tail. Not just his arm, but the bend of his tail was wound around the netting.

            “P-Please…please,” the merman, yes, fucking merman, was pleading still desperately trying to scoot backwards but being denied each time and the net yanked him back.

            “O-Okay, okay, it’s alright,” Dean gulped, his eyes were up and alert, skimming the ocean around him. All clear so far.  “Let me help you.”

            “W-Why?”

            “You’re bleeding, you need help, I won’t hurt you I swear.” Dean made it to his knees, staying a few feet away from the still trembling net, completely ignoring the fact that many of the large and costly tuna had bailed off the side, “Let me help you, you’re all tangled up in this thing man and you’re bleeding.”

            “I didn’t mean to…I didn’t mean to…”

            “Mean to what? Get in here? Of course you didn’t,” Dean tried to soothe despite the fact that his heart was ping-ponging off the caverns of his chest, “You got a name?”

            And much like Dean’s, the creature’s chest was heaving near out of control and he looked utterly exhausted, “Castiel….”

            “Castiel…” Dean nodded with a smile, “Okay Cas, I’m Dean and I’m gonna help you outta this k?”

            “Why?” he replied and Dean could hear the consciousness waning in his voice.

            “Cause you’re hurt,” Dean offered, moving a little closer, “You wanna let me see?”

            Cas gulped audibly, eyes darting to both sides for an escape that wouldn’t be possible without being freed. Dean removed the pocket knife from his pocket and Cas’ eyes widened and he was once more flailing backwards, “No, no, no, no Cas, hey, look at me,” he held the knife up, “Not gonna hurt you with this, just to get you free and I’m pretty sure you need some first aid.”

            “I’m not human,”

            “No shit Sherlock.”

            “What?”

            “Nothing, I’m just saying I’m pretty damn aware you aren’t human but that doesn’t make me wanna help you less. Hold still, huh?” he moved with as much gentleness as he knew how, taking the netting between his pointer finger and thumb and began sawing away. It was taught and wound around Cas’ flesh, cutting in several places. Not to mention the purple nature of his tawny skin where the blood flow had been denied, “Almost done, hold on,” every time the net cut away Cas flinched and Dean found himself ‘shhhing’ like one would a child. He knew he was in some state of shock, but it didn’t matter, this creature needed his help and he was desperate and beautiful to boot.

            Once he’d freed his wrist, Cas slumped, his chest bobbing with feigned breath, “I bet your tired huh?”

            Cas’ too blue eyes were rolling open and shut, he made an effort to sit up and then was  swaying, “Been here since last night…” he fell full body against Dean’s chest.

            Oomphing Dean held on, “Whoa, whoa, whoa, Cas….Castiel? Hey, dude, wake up, hey?!” he patted his cheek with no response, “Shit!”

            So yeah, mermaids existed. Fuck. And he had saved one. Shit. And he was beautiful. Double fuck shit. He couldn’t leave him out here, not hurt anyway and he was exhausted.

            “I know you’re not gonna like this buddy, but we’re heading to my place.” he scooped the creature up in his arms, tuna completely forgotten, and carried him into the sleep compartment of the boat. Okay, he couldn’t’ keep him here, he needed water, he knew that much. Merman, water, that’s right dummy. He hoisted the anchor and headed towards his place. Never in all his life was he more thankful that Bobby had provided housing for his employees. His house was right on the beach and within quick walking distance.

            He docked the boat. Given that the little bit of rain grew into a storm he knew he’d meet no traffic on the way to his place. He gathered Castiel into his arms, wrapping a tarp over bottom half and hurried into the beach house. Okay, tub, he knew that first off. Had to get him in the tub. Then first-aid. Fuck he needed Sammy here, his younger brother was so much better at that shit.

            It was a challenge getting up the walkway, closing the door with his hip and locking it as well. He hurried into the bathroom, flinching at the fluorescent lighting and shivering when he finally realized he was soaked to the bone.

            He balanced Cas on his lap, leaned forward and turned the knobs to the tub to fill up the porcelain. He kept it luke-warm and then thought, should I add salt? His heart leapt again, okay this was real life. Real life and he had an unconscious merman in his fucking lap. Once the tub was filled he lowered his charge into the basin, careful to keep his head above and then he was shaking his own. Couldn’t he breathe underwater? He wasn’t gonna risk it, he rolled a towel underneath his neck.

            Gingerly he urged his injured arm out of the water and laid it against the edge of the tub, all the while still sitting he dug underneath the sink’s cabinet to retrieve the first-aid kit, “Okay, don’t freak,” he murmured under his breath, eyes still locked on the surean face of Castiel, “He dabbed an alcohol swap along the cuts and purple bruises of his wrist and arm. His only response was a weak whimper. He dug around for bandages, the one thing missing from the kit and found them in the neighboring drawer.

            Then there was a sudden splashing and shouting, Dean was once more doused with water, he was sputtering arms out in defense, “Cas! Cas it’s okay!”

            “Where have you taken me!”

            “My place! I need to patch you up I’ll take you back I swear!” he coughed, scooping the water away from his face and eyes, “Dude, chill, chill, it’s okay.”

            Once Dean could see, his heart nearly broke in two, Cas was pressed against the wall of the shower, tail tucked close and eyes wide, “Cas, hey, I swear, I swear I’m only gonna help you. I’m sorry you got caught up in my net but I only wanna patch you up.”

            “P-Patch me up….”

            “Yeah,” he rested back on his heels, hands loose between his legs, “Bandage up those cuts and let you rest. Man, you were up all night fighting the tide? You need rest….I won’t hurt you.”

            “I don’t know you,” Castiel countered, and he moaned loudly when he pulled his injured arm to his torso.

            “I know that, but I give you my word, let me see,” he carefully put both palms out in a kind of surrender, “I’m not like those guys that were trying to reel you in. I just wanna help.”

            Cas didn’t speak, but he uncoiled some and then was offering his arm.

            “That’s good, real good,” Dean gave a smile, “I got these cleaned out. I just need to bandage them.”

            “Gabriel said you were dangerous…humans…I-I didn’t mean to get caught in your device….but the tide came in sooner than I thought a-an I couldn’t…”

            When Dean could hear the labored nature of his breathing, he chanced it and moved a little closer and then he found himself squeezing his hand, one thumb running over his white-clenched knuckles, “It’s okay Cas, that wasn’t your fault, you’re okay, you’re okay.”

            “Y-You’re Dean?”

            “Yup, you remembered,” Dean grinned, he was still gripping Cas’ hand and Cas was holding back when he wrapped the gauze around his raw wrist and upper arm, “Is the water okay? You need warmer? Colder?”

            “I-It’s fine,” he replied, easing back into the water, “I-I shouldn’t have come so close to shore. I don’t know what I was thinking…I-I’m always being chastised.”

            “Why’s that?”

            “Humans fascinate me…but I should know better.” he gulped, eyes wide and wet again, but Dean was shocked when their fingers were still locked.

            “Well, I’m glad you found this human. I’ll get you back home, I promise,” Dean smiled, “How about I take care of those,” he gestured towards the merman’s face, “Looks like you were fighting pretty bad huh?”

            “I’m fine. I-I didn’t know how to get out…it’s never happened to me before. My brothers have told me…how to escape but I panicked.” his eyes were suddenly watering and the action made them seem even more blue.

            “Hey, don’t cry,” Dean frowned, he balanced one arm on the edge of the tub, “I have absolutely no intention of hurting you, okay? I just wanna patch you up and send you home. Isn’t that some old sea story? You save a mermaid and you get saved someday?”

            “I-I’m not sure,” Cas said, tongue continually wetting his lips, “If you were to successfully return me to the ocean I would be in your debt.”

            “Cas,” Dean laughed, “I didn’t mean it like that! It was a joke, you do joke down there right?”

            “Y-Yes,” he gulped once more.

            “Can you sleep in here? I mean, can you rest?”

            “I don’t know,” Cas frowned, he buried his tail deep in the water as he could, “I will not die without water it is merely uncomfortable.”

            “Okay, well, how about I camp out in here? I got an air mattress. You’ll probably just need a good night’s sleep….however you guy’s do that and I’ll get you back home tomorrow.”

            “A-Alright.”

            “Cas,” Dean huffed, finally realizing how cold he was, t-shirt clinging to his chest, “I’m gonna change and then I’ll come back in here. We’ll talk to till you crash out. Get some rest and I’ll get ya back home tomorrow. I swear.”

            Cas nodded, dark hair falling over his brow and without even thinking Dean moved forward and brushed it away, “S-sorry, you’ve got nice eyes…just thought…” and then he was stumbling, “Be back in a minute…”

 

            Dean gave a quick call to Sam and Bobby and thank God for the storm because with that excuse they didn’t question his lateness or absence. He pulled the air mattress into the bathroom, and had changed out of his wet clothes, “Sorry it took so long but I can’t be in wet…things…” he chuckled, “You need the tub filled again?”

            “Not as of yet,” Cas replied and he sounded a little more relaxed but to be honest all Dean heard was ‘tired’.

            “Go to sleep Cas. I’ll keep an eye on you, k?” Dean laid on his side, facing the tub, “You’re safe here until you recuperate.”

            “I’ve never met a human before,” Cas said, the first calm sentence all evening, there was even a smile tugging on his face as he balanced both elbows on the edge of the tub, “I was never told humans could be so beautiful.”

            “Flattery will get you everywhere,” Dean smirked, trying to joke away the heat in his cheeks.

            The next couple hours, despite Dean saying that the merman needed his rest, they talked about family. Namely Dean’s. The death of his mother, the absence of his father. The love and loyalty of his brother. And Castiel listened with this amazed and honed attention, blue eyes genuine and eager to listen in a way Dean had never experienced.

            Eventually Dean realized he’d been talking over an hour, “I’m boring as hell man, tell me about the ocean. You’ve been to places I can’t even reach.”

            And Cas did. It was like a narration from Planet Earth. The valleys and caverns of the deep, every shape and color known to man. Blues, red, greens, yellows that could never be properly explained, Cas said. Creatures he’d never heard of that seemed to dance like some alien and intricate ballet along with Cas’ beautiful voice. Dean lulled to the gravel, sensuous voice that was this creature and his world.

           

            When next Dean awoke he could plainly see that Cas had fallen asleep, chin propped against the edge of the porcelain, mouth slightly open. For a moment Dean’s heart jolted and he reached forward without thought to check Cas’ pulse.

            The Merman lurched backwards, water sloshing and falling over the edges of the tub, “Sorry…”

            “No, I’m sorry,” Dean shook his head, “Y-You just scared me that’s all.” he glanced at the pale clock on the wall, “How are you feeling?”

            “Better,” Cas nodded, “You will stand by your promise?”

            Dean almost rolled his eyes but stopped, “Of course I promise, you sure you’re ready to swim?”

            “Quite sure,” Cas gave his first smile Dean could decipher that wasn’t fake.

            Dean scrubbed at his face and then clapped his hands, “Okay then let’s go,” he got up on his knees and then leaned forward pulling the plug on the tub, “You okay with me carrying you?”

            “What other choice do I have?” Cas smirked.

            Dean knew for sure Cas was well rested with that smile, “Okay smart ass, let’s go, arm around my shoulders,” he instructed, and then with his free hand tucked underneath his scaly form, “Hold on tight I don’t wanna drop ya.”

            It was still early in the morning, Dean was grateful for that and he found himself moving slower and slower to the shore.

            “What’s wrong?” Cas asked, arms wound around Dean’s neck and face close to his.

            “Nothing,” Dean sighed, he found himself holding closer as he edged the shore, thankfully he could see no one out this early and even though the water was cold he waded out into it. Cas’ eyes were wide as he did so.

            “You didn’t think I was just gonna dump you off like a gold fish, did ya?” Dean smiled, and then he felt his chest clench.

            “Gold fish?” Cas asked confused.

            “Nevermind,” Dean inhaled roughly, still holding him tight.

            “Dean….”

            Shaking himself from this reverie he lowered Cas to the water, “Sorry…”

            “Dean thank you, thank you for helping me….I don’t know what I would have done…”

            “It was nothing….” he was, once again, without thought brushing the damp, ebony hair from Cas’ forehead.

            “I wish to see you again,” Cas interrupted every dark, sad thought in Dean’s head.

            “What?”

            “I wish to see you again,” Cas repeated, he was arching his torso and pulling Dean down, the gentle wind their only company, “You are so kind but you don’t seem to see this.”

            “Cas, I was only trying to help….”

            “It was more than that,” Cas bit at his lip, his palms still pressed to Dean’s face. In every way that was gentle was pressing lips to Dean’s cheek, the jut of his chin, the corner of his jaw and then was carefully hovering over his lips, “You know that.”

            Dean was overwhelmed, the plump lips pressed to his own, chaste and perfect. The taste of salt and flesh and thing he couldn’t put words to. He fell forward against the offering mouth, the waves lapping against his torso, cold and icy but he couldn’t care less. Their tongues brushed and Dean denied he moaned, denied he whimpered like Cas had when he was hurt and desperate.

            “You are beautiful,” Cas murmured against the wet flesh of his throat, suckling if only for a moment, “Beautiful and you saved me.”

            “I wanna see you again.” Dean was sure it was against his will but he didn’t care. That mouth, those lips, those eyes. Warmth and love and acceptance. Emotions he didn’t think existed were all there in one fell swoop.

            Cas rubbed his nose against Dean’s, circling before capturing his lips, and then he was nipping his chin, “You will.” he breached his mouth once more, their tongued tangling and Dean lost his breath.

            “W-here.” his hands were grappling for hold that was a lost cause as Cas swam backwards into the current.

            “Not in a net, that was a freak occurrence,” Cas smirked, blue eyes sparkling, “But you can find me in the same cove.”

            “Y-Yeah,” Dean gulped, and with a splash, flick of the fin Cas was gone and Dean found himself breathless and near blind on the beach at his back.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Dean meet again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So by popular demand, here be a fluffy new chapter! Also I got my commission from Linneart for Mer!Cas and Human!Dean so it inspired me to write! Hope ya'll enjoy! Thank you all so so so much for the support, the reviews, the kudos, the bookmarks, the subscribers!  
> Here's the artwork!   
> http://imgur.com/a/QSU4T

            “What’s got your brain all high in the sky, boy?” Bobby’s voice broke Dean’s indeed, high as the sky thinking.

            “Uh, didn’t sleep, pretty loud storm last night don’t you think?” Dean cleared his throat, looping the rope around over his arm, below the elbow, again and again until he had a perfect coil.

            “No louder than usual,” Bobby grunted, “Your panties are in a twist and it ain’t some thunderstorm. You grew up around these freak sea storms.”

            “I just didn’t sleep, Jesus fuck, back off,” Dean growled, tossing the arm full of rope into the pile near the hull.

            “Somebody’s cranky,” Sam smiled, scratching off on his daily to-do-list, “You lose the entire catch yesterday?”

            “Not my fault a storm moved in and we had thieves again, by the way. Maybe you should start calling these assholes in Bobby,” Dean took a deep gulp of beer, that might as well had been liquid lead the way it settled in his stomach, heavy and unwanted. He couldn’t get his mind off the creature he’d saved from the net. Those blue eyes that might as well had been flames, the way they locked and captivated him. And then of ALL things Cas had kissed him and he couldn’t remember a time he’d been kissed so well, so sweetly.

            Bobby’s gruff voice was pulling him back to reality once more, “Well, you need to get your ass back out there, set the nets and then you’re staying on the house boat over night to keep an eye on those tuna. They’re the most expensive on the market I can’t keep losing revenue!”

            “Alright, alright,” Dean snapped, trying to sound as indignant as possible when in reality his heart was suddenly thumping hard beneath his ribs, adrenaline and excitement lighting him up in all the wrong and right ways.

            “I’ll make ya up some dinner, you want me to come with? We haven’t done that since we were kids,” Sam suggested, still not looking up from his clipboard.

            “Nah Sammy,” Dean swallowed roughly, shaking his head and forcing a smile, “It’s a small boat, not much room to sleep I got it. Just make me up some decent sandwiches and we’ll call it even.”

            Sam eyed him, some mingling emotion on his face that was suspicion and surprise, “Alrighty then, meet me on the house boat in 20 minutes and I’ll get you ready to go. Just, this time don’t get wasted, especially by yourself, that would be one sad obituary don’t you think?”

            “Shut your face,” Dean for real snapped this time, “I’m not planning on it. It’ll be nice to get some peace and quiet for once.”

            He hopped down from the dock, making fast track to his own sea side cabin. He wondered if Cas would be there, he wondered where Cas lived, was it nearby? His mind was indeed reeling as he stuffed a bag with clothes, a flask, and his travel radio.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Sam was waiting, as promised at the front of the boat dangling a small cooler, “Hope you like ham, it was all Bobby had in the fridge, gotcha a couple of sodas too.”

            “Thanks Sammy,” Dean gave a nod, tucking away his night back in the sleep compartment.

            “You sure you’re okay, you’ve been acting funny since you came in this morning,” Sam frowned, handing him the cooler.

            Dean shrugged, cleared his throat again, “Fine Sam, I’m fine, I think a night by myself, out on the ocean’ll do me good. Not like I can afford some vacation so it gives me some time away from the house.” oh, that was a lame lie. Dean never traveled, flying was a no-no, his Baby was his only means of transportation and that could only get you so far on the little bit of money he made. Gas and rooms weren’t cheap.

            “You’re not meetin’ a chick are you? Or no wait, you met a guy didn’t you! That’s the only time you get squirrely like this!”

            “Sammy I’m warning you,” Dean started.

            “No, it makes sense, you don’t need to hide it, you know Bobby doesn’t care right?” Sam arched an eyebrow, that same silly smirk on his face.

            “I know he doesn’t! But it’s not a chick or a guy, back off dude, Jesus,” Dean turned away, cheeks feeling hot and started pulling anchor, fiddling with ropes _anything_ to keep Sam off the scent.

            “Alright, alright,” Sam continued to grin, “Have it your way but I _will_ find out.”

            “Well, you keep sniffing around for nothing, bitch, cause there’s nothing.”

            “Whatever jerk, be careful out there, I’m serious.”

            “Done it a hundred times Sammy, I’m fine,”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Dean pulled into the cove, eyes already out over the rippling, blue waves. The sea, thankfully, was calm today. He set anchor and waited. Nothing but angry seagulls squawking around the nooks and crannies of the coves and many small caves. First off, he checked the nets, and was happily relieved to see Cas hadn’t gotten himself caught again. Of course, he knew that would never happen, freak occurrence. He lowered the nets back down, given that they were empty, usually were mid-day it wouldn’t probably be until the following morning would he have any kind of decent catch.

            It was over an hour and nothing. So, he sat himself down on the edge of the boat, where the ladder could drop off into the sea, scuba diving convivence. He opened up the cooler, rummaging around for one of the sandwiches. Per usual the seagulls got louder, and closer, pretty soon he was tossing out the crusts of his sandwiches into the water, they readily dove to catch up the unwanted bread.

            As it neared 6 he got bored, and annoyed at the birds griping, so he turned up the radio Back in Black by Ac/Dc echoing off the stone walls of the cove. With that distraction it was to no surprise, the voice calling his name made him lose his balance and go tumbling off the bow. He hit the water hard, and hell it stung, instinct slapping him smartly he kicked to the surface. It wasn’t easy, his clothes were heavy, clinging and clawing him with buoyancy.

            “Dean, I’m so sorry, are you alright?”

            Cas.

            It was Cas, and Dean was far too happy, to excited to get mad. “When did you get here?”

            “A few minutes, but I could not get your attention over,” he pointed upwards towards the boat with a distinctive grimace that scrunched up his whole face, “That.”

            “Oh,” he brushed his hair away from his eyes, to make sure he was really seeing what he was seeing, “That was my music, fuck, you are real, I thought maybe I’d dreamt it or something.”

            Cas chuckled, low and temperate, “I never doubted your existence. Thank you for saving me. I am in your debt.”

            “Nah, you don’t have to thank me, glad to help,” he was keeping himself above water good enough, but his clothes were making it difficult, not to mention the weight of his boots, “Uh, you mind if I go up and change, this is getting a little difficult.”

            “Oh, yes, of course,” his smile was warm and Dean was definitely taking notes again on how plump and soft his mouth looked, “You are not a bad swimmer.”

            “Not bad, no, but swimming fully clothed is a bitch,” he treaded the water back to the ladder, “You wanna, come up?”

            “Perhaps not right away, there are many rocky edges here to sit and talk. I believe it would be safer for me, to stay out of sight I mean.” Cas swam around him in circles, his eyes ten times bluer than Dean remembered from the night before.

            “Sure, t-that sounds cool,” he thought he nodded, “I should probably change into swim trunks or something.”

            “Of course,” Cas smiled once more, with the tilt of his head Dean knew he didn’t understand but wouldn’t ask what ‘swim trunks’ were.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Dean was sure this was the fastest he’d ever changed out of clothes in his life, he did a double check around neighboring shores, even though they were pretty far away and was making his way back to the ladder.

            “Cas, you still there?” Dean found himself frowning, “Cas?! Are y—“

            The dark mop of hair breached the surface, “I’m here, you needn’t shout.” it was good humored, excited sounding even and that had Dean smiling against his will. Cas’ blue eyes were shimmering, child-like even. Dean dropped back into the water with an audible, ungraceful thunk!

            “Okay, where to, it isn’t far is it? I can keep myself afloat but I’m not a champion swimmer.”

            “I would never let you sink Dean,” Cas smirked, suddenly in Dean’s space, one hand reaching forward and caressing his cheek.

            Dean turned so far into the touch, with a deep, trembling sigh, he momentarily sank. As promised Cas pulled him back up, Dean was sputtering water from his mouth, arms full around the merman’s waist.

            Cas was frantic, “Did I hurt you?!”

            Dean chuckled shakily, “N-No, I just, fuck,” he regained his breath, eyes painting over Cas’ face and then he moved forward and captured Cas’ lips. They were just as chilled and soft as before. Cas kept them afloat, Dean could feel his tail spinning beneath them like the blade on a motor boat. Now that they had this second chance, no need to swim away, so it seemed, Dean indulged. Before it had been chaste, this time they were breaching one another’s mouths. And oh, Cas’ tongue was so soft, and warm, a stark comparison to his sea chilled flesh. He tasted sweet, and yes, salty. They kissed for a long time, until Dean realized Cas sank a little in the water.

            When their lips parted, Cas was laughing gently, “I cannot keep us afloat forever, come on.” he pecked Dean’s lips once, then twice, another low laugh rumbling in his chest as Dean chased after.

            The cliff Cas led him to was cushy, moss covered, at least that’s what it felt like, he wasn’t sure.

            “You come here often?” Dean waggled his eyebrows and then nearly busted out laughing with Cas’ utterly confused look. He kept his laugh at bay though, last thing he wanted was to make Cas feel stupid.

            Cas shrugged, “Often enough,” he flittered his tail, droplets of water scattering above them. It reminded Dean a little of wings, the flesh of his tail was the exact color of his eyes, the small indigo dorsal fin along his back the same shade, “What?”

            “Nothing, dude, you’re just, well, you’re beautiful,” Dean was filled with some ridiculous happy emotion when Cas turned red, “I’m glad you came back. It’s weird I-I feel like I’ve known you like forever and I just. I needed to see you again.”

            “Strange, I feel the same as well,” Cas scooted closer, his slick skin making it easy on the lava colored rock, “Never have I felt this with any of my merfolk. They think me strange….” he sighed.

            “Well I think you’re awesome, when you were telling me about your home, about the deep parts of the sea, you’re one helluva a story teller. Wish I could see it,” he scooted closer as well and then seemingly without warrant his hands were doing what they wanted, he skimmed fingers up Cas’ lean, muscled arms and then his fingers were threading through his dark, brown locks that began to curl from the salty air.

            “As I wish I could explore the land,” Cas answered, a sad hitch to his voice, but the tips of his fingers were tracing around Dean’s cheeks, his nose, over his mouth. Dean effectively made Cas laugh when he kissed his thumb.

            Fuck, Dean thought, I would be the one to have feelings for an otherworldly creature. But he wasn’t gonna think that far. They were here now, he was feeling _this_ whatever it was, he’d figure out the rest later.

            They sat on the rocks, every now and again Cas plunged below the seas’ surface to wet his tail, they resumed their talking. Dean talked all about his Baby, about Sammy a lot more and his girlfriend Jessica. How awesome pie was and burgers were while Cas stared on intrigued but confused. Cas listened with the most rapt attention Dean had ever witnessed. Soon enough it was growing dark and he found himself shivering.

            “Fuck, I don’t wanna but I really should get back to my boat. Temperature drops fast out here.”

            Cas’ face went from completely glowing to pouting in less than a second, “Must you really?”

            Dean frowned, wetting his lips, “Why don’t you come up? You said you wouldn’t die without water. You could hang out a little bit longer,” the grin on his face returning, “We could do a little more of this.” he took Cas’ chin and kissed him long, and purposeful even going as far as sucking that bottom lip between his teeth with a loud pop, “And we could watch the stars together. I could lose some sleep and love it. With you anyway.”

            The soft smile, that reached all the way to Cas’ eyes emerged, “Yes, please.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            They swam back to the boat, by then Dean was shivering pretty intensely, “You want me to get a net or something, help you aboard?”

            “That sounds very unpleasant,” Cas huffed, “But, I suppose we haven’t any other choice.”

            Dean changed his clothes and then was lowering the net, “Just hold on and I’ll pull you up.”

            Once on deck, Dean pulled the netting away, stashing it in the storage bunker part of the boat. He dragged his fairly comfortable cot out onto the front deck of the boat and situated the blankets, “Are you sure you’re alright not being wet and all?”

            “I wouldn’t have come aboard if it wouldn’t be,” he was reaching up his arms and happily Dean complied, scooping him up and then laying him to the cot’s mattress.

            “Well if you get uncomfortable just let me…” he was interrupted by lips, and was falling back to the bed with a tiny moan. Kissed into oblivion was more like it. Breaking for breath Dean snuck in, “I’m getting the feeling you like me Cas.”

            The warm, heart melting laugh trickled from Cas’ lips once more, he nipped his chin, almost a bite, added another to his throat, and then settled against his chest.

            “I like you very much Dean.”

            For what Dean surmised was at least a whole minute, Cas nuzzled his throat, making a low purring noise. His fins rippled, and went up and down, almost as if he were some happy cat with a wandering tail. Before long he inhaled as deep as his mer lungs allowed apparently and then exhaled with a puff. His face turned up just enough to observe the sky, but he was still not so subtly nosing Dean’s throat.

            “What are you a cat?” Dean laughed, arms wrapping around him enough that he finally realized Cas could generate warmth.

            “I don’t know what that is,” Cas replied drowsily, “So the stars, that is what you call them?”

            “Yeah, what do you call them?”

            “That is where one goes when they are no longer of this world. They become a big, singing pearl in the sky.” Cas sighed once more, sounding like a contented child.

            Dean smiled, “I like that better than balls of gas burning billion and billions of miles away. We’ll stick with your interpretation.”

            “Dean?” and he could feel Cas’ cheek against his jaw, “Could…can this…I mean…”

            “Spit it out Cas,” Dean smirked, kissing his forehead.

            Cas was chewing the inside of his jaw, “I wish to do this often, can we?”

            “As often as I can sweetheart, as often as I can.” Dean tightened his arms around Castiel, one hand running up and down his spine, interrupted by the one fin in the middle of his back. Cas only murmured in satisfaction. He kissed his forehead and then his dark mop, salty and earthy in one fell swoop. He didn’t know what this was, what it could be, but for now he was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please oh pretty please review!!!


	3. Crossing Bridges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas get intimate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I'm so happy to update this. And here be ya some smut :) I had to. Out of The Deep demands it. So I hope you guys like and the amazing lady I dedicated this fic to enjoys as well ;)

Dean shoved more clothes into an over-night bag, hurriedly so, as well as inhaling a sandwich as fast as he could, swallowing down large and possibly chokable pieces.

            “Dean, I said I’d go this time,” Sam’s voice arrived behind him, “You’ve been out nearly every night this week. You’re startin’ to worry me.”

            Dean rolled his eyes, “I’m fine _Mom_ ,” he groused, slinging the bag over his shoulder, “I thought maybe you’d like this new habit of mine. I’ve been drinkin’ less.” he winked.

            “Yeah, that’s another thing,” Sam eyed him with suspicion, “Last time you were like this you were dating Lisa.”

            “And then after that…I crashed and burned I was back to my old self. Dude, I’m fine,” he said again, and even to himself he knew it didn’t sound convincing.

            “Uh-huh, come on, I’m your brother! Who’s the guy? I know it’s a guy cause you act a certain way when it’s a guy. You’re twice as flustered!”

            “Sammy, drop it! There’s no one!” he headed towards the door to avoid his little brother seeing the flush of his cheeks.

            But Sam was not deterred, “Oh, you are so lying!”

            He followed him all the way out to the dock where he was throwing his overnight bag and coolers in the main cab.

            “So, when do I get to meet’em?” Sam asked, waggling his eyebrows.

            Dean shoved him nearly off the dock, once more nearly rolling his eyes out of his head, “Be useful and untie me there,” he pointed at the rope, “Now Sam. Seriously, you need a life.”

            Sam only laughed, doing as told and throwing the rope at Dean enough to make him sputter and toss it to the deck, “Bitch!”

            “Jerk,” Sam winked, “Have fun out on the water all by your lonesome.”

            Dean only growled under his breath, intent on not feeding his little brother’s teasing, “See ya tomorrow asshole.” he cranked his stereo, blasting loudly a Bad Company song.

            “Sure!” Sam only answered brightly, waving a hand over his shoulder.

 

            Dean entered the cove, and lowered his stereo, knowing full well after two weeks of visiting his merboyfriend that it hurt his ears. That it was much louder through the water than the air. He anchored the boat, he checked the net, which was near full, and left it alone for when he would head home.

            As he was doing so Castiel’s head broke the surface of the water, coupled with ‘boo!’. Dean startled expectantly with a ‘God fuck!’ but then was laughing, because Cas was smiling ear to ear as the salt water cascaded down his brow and lips, “Damnitt Cas,” he was leaned far enough over the boat to receive a deep and wanted kiss, without thought he reached both hands out to cup Cas’ face and fell into the water. Cas was lifting him to the surface with ease and a laugh that echoed off the walls of the cove.

            “You jerk,” Dean sputtered, “You did that on purpose.”

            “It is not my fault that you lose focus while kissing,” Cas grinned, circling around before gathering him in his arms and continuing the kissing with fervor, “Mmm, you taste good. I missed you so much. So very much.”

            And yes, every time, Dean seemed to lose his breath, “You too, fuck, sweetheart, I miss you. Wish you could just come and bunk with me.”

            That garnered him a frown, “I-I should be careful, Gabriel always says…”

            “I know, I know,” Dean placated him with more kisses, savoring the amazing plumpness that were his lips, “I know you can’t, was just thinkin’ out loud.”

            Cas sighed, leaning into the touch with ease, roping his arms around Dean’s neck as he kept them both afloat.

            “How about you come up? Cause guess what?” Dean smiled, nipping his earlobe.

            Cas shuddered, head to fin, “What?”

            “I’m here for the weekend,” he whispered against the shell of his ear, “That’s three days baby.”

            Dean’s smile widened when he took note of Cas’ eyes widening as well as his even wider smile.

            “Really?” Cas nearly gasped, his fins flaring out like wings.

            “Yup, you got me for three days darlin’, so whatta you wanna do?”

            “This,” Cas hummed, crashing their lips together, slipping his tongue inside Dean’s mouth, pushing him against the wall of the boat. Almost unconsciously Dean lifted his arms up to grip the edge of the boat and Cas crowded closer. Cas clung onto him, giving his tail some rest from spinning to keep them afloat.

            “Come up,” Dean growled, he didn’t know where this would go. Hell, he didn’t even know if mermen had the same anatomy but he was willing to find out.

            Cas let loose of his bottom lip with a loud pop and was nodding, “Alright, yes, please.”

            Dean swallowed the huge stone in his throat and managed to grapple his hands around to grip the ladder and pulled himself up from the boat. His clothes feeling heavy and cumbersome his gaze fell back to the water, “Lowering the net now.” he worked the crank that lowered the net into the salt water and quicker than Dean had ever seen, Cas wiggled into the material.

            He lifted him up onto the deck and usually one would think that a merman on any non-water surface would be useless but Cas could move around well enough. Because before Dean knew it he had shimmied his way into Dean’s space and was pulling him down for a deep kiss. Happily Dean followed and soon they were making out like crazy on the deck of the boat, Cas’ tail curling up and down as he arched against Dean’s wet body.

            Between kisses Dean began to gather his bearings and when Cas moaned, loudly, he knew he had to move this elsewhere, “Baby, baby, hold on, let’s take this to the cabin huh?”

            “Yes, yes, please,” Cas whimpered.

            Without prompting, Dean scooped him up into his arms, Cas’ tail wrapped tightly against his waist, continuing the kisses.

            Dean lowered him to the wide cot, painting kisses against his throat, lowering his lips to his chest, “Cas,” he swirled his tongue around where his flesh stopped and his scaled began, “This is a crazy question but um, do you have uh, ya know, male parts?”

            Cas seemed to blink the lust from his eyes long enough to lock sight with Dean, “You mean a penis?”

            Dean’s mouth went dry but he was nodding anyway, “Y-Yeah, penis, that’s what I mean.”

            “Of course I do,” he groused, “But it’s not exposed like your genitalia. I mean, from what I have read.”

            “Okay, so we go slow, but baby I wanna make you feel good. Tell me what to do,” Dean said as smoothly as possible, his stomach was flip-flopping. However, he calmed when Cas smiled.

            “Here,” he placed a hand where one would think a ‘crotch’ would be, “But until I’m fully aroused you won’t see it. I-I’ve never had anyone else ever see…me…”

            Dean only grinned, mission in hand now that he knew what he was working with, “You’re safe with me sweetheart,” he dipped down and kissed him, nipping his lips and caressing the roof of his mouth with his tongue, “You feel uncomfortable you let me know, huh?”

            Breathlessly, Cas nodded.

            Dean went back to work, like he had on the deck. He began to strip away his wet clothes and his nerves came back into play when Cas gasped. “Y-You okay? Sorry I should have asked I…here I am just stripping.”

            “You’re beautiful.” Cas murmured, his hands brushing down Dean’s arms, grazing his chest, down his sides before resting on his hips, “Come here.”

            They were kissing like crazy again and on instinct Dean rested his palm where Cas had earlier, he pressed firmly but gently and Cas gasped somewhat more high-pitched, “This okay?”

            Cas nodded, eyes clenched shut, “I-I’ve never…” and then Dean knew what he meant by ‘hidden’ because then he was unsheathed, not unlike a human penis, but similar enough, and exposed. Cas gasped loudly as Dean wrapped his fingers around his shaft.

            “It’s okay I gotcha,” Dean assured, mind blown for sure but turned on as holy hell. As carefully and as attentively as he had ever been with a lover he gripped Cas’ exposed length. Cas’ hips arched off the bed and he was clinging almost painfully to Dean’s back, “Relax, sweetheart, relax, I’ll make this good.”

            “I-I have never…let anyone…” Cas’ head fell back to the bed, his whole body locking up and pressing against Dean’s touch, “Dean…D-Dean…”

            “Let go,” Dean spoke huskily against the nape of his neck, now fervently pumping him with one hand, his mouth latched to his throat.

            Cas’ tail had effectively wrapped around Dean’s legs, if anything pressing their hips closer together in desperation, “Dean, please…”

            Dean gathered him closer, locking his legs around his slick, fin body, he slotted their lengths against one another and oh, it was strange. Strange but wonderful. Cas’ penis wasn’t smooth it had tiny bumps around it and it was tipped more than rounded.

            Dean nearly lost it thinking about what he could do with that. As soon as the idea crested they were both crashing into their orgasms. Dean took careful note to press his thumb into the tip and then Cas was crying out in ecstasy, burying his face in the crook of Dean’s throat as he called his name.

            It took some time before either could speak. Dean stayed slumped against Cas’ firm chest, “Baby…you okay?”

            “That was exquisite,” Cas whimpered, “I-I never thought.”

            Dean reached behind himself and felt for a discarded shirt, he wiped up the mess between them, “It’s okay, shhhh.”

            “I apologize.” Cas gasped.

            “Don’t apologize, you’ve never felt this before, it’s fine.” he peppered kisses along Cas’ brow, then his cheeks, before resting to his lips.

            Cas inhaled deeply and folded his arms to his chest, burying close to Dean’s chest, “I want this always.”

            Dean’s breath hitched, but he was nodding, “I want this too.” he kissed him until they were both sighing with breathlessness once more, “You wanna turn in? You need a dip before we do that?”

            “I probably should,” Cas curled closer, “Will you go with me?”

            “Sure, we might as well clean up, better than wiping off,” Dean chuckled, he gave him one last kiss before gathering him up from the mattress, “Sun’s almost setting, perfect time,” he sat Cas on his lap, “Ready?”

            Cas held tight and nodded, and they plunged into the water. As always Dean broke the surface first, then Cas who effectively scooped him up in his arms, swirling him around in the water and kissing him into oblivion.

            “God,” Dean said between kisses, “I wish I could grow fins or you could lose fins.”

            They kissed so long they lost track of time, the sun began to set into the sea.

            Dean thought he heard the rumble of an engine, but only was he sure when he heard a loud shout.

            “I knew it!”

            “Sammy?!”

            Sam’s eyes were wide in the dimming light of the sun, “Uh, what the fuck?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review!


	4. Exposure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Sam talk. Cas and Dean talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Love all the response to this fic! And it also makes me laugh about all the interspecies sex LOL Love you guys. Thank you for the kudos, reviews, subscribes and bookmarks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            Dean was suddenly underwater, as he felt Cas’ slick body move away fast, he spat water from his mouth as he surfaced, “Cas!”

            But Cas was gone from his side so quickly he was dizzy, he could barely make out the clear blue eyes, wide and terrified peering around the corner of the nearest rock. His long fingers clutching said rock, tail curling beneath him.

            He fumbled for the ladder of the boat, “Hold on Sammy, I can explain,” he ran a hand over his face to clear the water from his eyes.

            “Explain? Explain?! T-That’s not a human, is…oh my God…is he-he a…merman?!”

            “Hey! Shut the fuck up for a second!” Dean barked, pointing a finger, “You’re scaring him!” he pushed away from the boat and swam towards the rock Cas was hiding behind, “Stay there!” he added to his little brother still staring slack-jawed from his small boat.

            He made broad strokes to get to Cas’ side faster, “Cas, hey, that’s my brother he won’t hurt you. He’s just surprised like I was, I swear.”

            Cas was still barely out of the water, shimmying away, to Dean’s dismay, deeper into the cove, “I-I’ve been careless…”

            “No, Cas, please, he won’t hurt you. You trust me, right?” he stayed where he was and pulled himself up onto the rock, “Come’ere.” Dean may or may not have had his heart lurch to his brain and then to his stomach, when furiously, Cas shook his head, hiding even further, “Okay, sweetheart, stay here, please? I’m gonna go talk to Sammy. Will you stay?”

            Thankfully that garnered him a silent nod.

            He dipped back into the warm sea water and swam back to the boat, climbing the ladder, “Get up here,” he snapped.

            “Is he really...I mean am I imagining things, is he really a merman?!” Sam was speaking unfiltered.

            “Yeah, he is,” Dean felt the heat in his cheeks and knowing that Sam had caught them mid-make out, “About a month ago I found him caught in a net, he was hurt real bad, rescued him from those fucking thieves that thought he was big prize tuna…and well…this happened.” yep. Cheeks red and burning, “Look I care a lot about him and he thinks you’re a threat. I know this is fucking crazy…but I need you to promise me you won’t tell anybody…”

            “Jesus Dean, what do you take me for?! I wouldn’t tell anybody!” Sam groused, shaking his head, “You’d swear we weren’t brothers, I know better. Can…can you explain to him that I won’t hurt’em? I would never…”

            “You might have to go down there with me, because he sure as hell isn’t coming up here.” Dean sighed, scrubbing at his sea damp hair, “Just give me a sec, and I’ll signal you to come down.”

            Same as he did before he swam over to the large cliff stone, “Cas, you still here?” the surface broke and there Cas was, eyes still wide and blue and wet, “Sammy wants to meet you, to show you he’s cool. Safe. I mean safe.”

            “Meet me?” he spoke softly.

            “Yeah, meet you, he’s kind of a big kid. Always believed in you guys, ever since he was little. He’s harmless, I promise. You trust me, right?”

            Dean smiled when Cas swam a little closer, even though his eyes were around their surroundings as if someone else might see them.

            “I trust you.” he said in the same, barely heard tone.

            “We’re stayin’ in the water so you feel more comfortable,” he waved at Sam, motioning with the turn of his head that it was okay. He reached into the water and took Cas’ hand, bringing it to his lips, “I’m sorry about all this. He’s my brother. He’s been curious about where I’ve been going for the last few weeks.”

            “Will-will we still have the three days you promised? Will you have to leave now? Dean…please…” Cas asked, voice suddenly brittle, tail curling upwards and brushing their fingertips.

            “No, no, no, we’ve still got the whole weekend. We’ll have a chat with Sammy and he’s getting out of here.” he took a chance and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Cas’ chilly ones.

            Dean was thankful that Sam seemed to get the gist of all this, he swam carefully to where they both were and then stopped, waiting for Dean’s instruction.

            “Hi,” he waved lamely, a big dopey smile on his face, “I’m Dean’s brother, Sam. Sorry I scared you back there, I didn’t mean to. I just, wow, you’re awesome, just took me by surprise. Tail and all, oh wow.”

            “Pull it back Sammy,” Dean laughed to assuage Cas’ anxiety, “Sam, this is Castiel.”

            Only minutely Sam moved closer, his eyes taking careful study of Cas who was flipping his tail in and out of the water, his nervousness taking physical form, “Castiel, hey.”

            “Hello,” Cas replied, pressing closer to Dean’s side.

            “I won’t hurt you,” Sam supplied, obviously taking note of Cas’ nervousness, “Again, sorry I scared you. You guys’ secret is safe with me.”

            “I appreciate that,” Cas answered, his grip not loosening on Dean’s legs, “I-I have never met more than one human. I am a bit overwhelmed and you are so much...bigger than Dean.”

            Sam seemed to bypass the physical description because he was only frowning, “Well, you don’t have to worry. And just so ya know, Dean must think the world of you if he didn’t even tell me about it.”

            “Sam, Jesus, cool it, huh?”

            Sam only smiled, “Yeah, yeah, I knew it was a big deal. You actin’ all squirrely like this, I knew it was more than some fling.”

            “Sam,” Dean growled in warning.

            Cas’ brow was furrowing, his head tilting, “I don’t understand, what is the meaning of _squirrely_?”

            “My brother is smitten, that’s what it is,” Sam chuckled, shucking the long strands of his wet hair out of his eyes.

            “Alright, alright, why don’t you beat it. You did enough ruining of our evening. And just so you know I am watching the nets, this is just…well…”

            “An excuse? A perk?” Sam added, “Sure, sure, I’ll get out of your hair. Castiel, it was awesome to meet you. Maybe one of these days you and I can talk, that is if you wanna.”

            “I would,” Cas answered timidly, fingers finally unfurling slightly from Dean’s swim shorts.

            “See you Monday,” Sam winked, and that had Dean shoving him off the rock all together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            It took a lot of coaxing to get Cas back on the deck of the boat, he was like a skittish cat, every pop, snap from the ocean had him cowering.

            “Cas,” Dean murmured in a singsong tone, “I got us a nest up here. I bought a bunch of those blankets you like before I came out here. _Three_ of them,” he gave a wink to the merman still swimming anxiously in the water in tight circles just below the net that would bring him up.

            His blues eyes were like jewels in the failing light of the sun, “The ones from that first night?”

            “Yep,” Dean smiled nodding, “I also got a surprise for you, and given this afternoon, this is even more perfect. Please come up, huh?”

            “Three blankets?” Cas asked, his voice echoing off the cove.

            “ _Three_ blankets,” Dean grinned, still leaned over the edge, hoping Cas would give him the a-okay to bring him aboard.

            He was sure he heard Cas growling in frustration but then he was happy to hear a ‘hoist me up’

            Once he got Cas on the deck he was kissing him, slow and careful before scooping him up in his arms, “Thanks babe, for trusting me.”

            Cas sighed against the flesh of his throat, arms wrapped rightly around his shoulders, “I trust you.”

            “Okay, surprise time,” Dean spoke happily, “And I hope to make this a regular thing.”

            “What is it?” Cas asked, turning his head away from Dean.

            There on the head of the deck was a large tent, Dean rushed them both beneath the contents, the large and fluffy blankets atop a plush mattress made the base for the tent, “I got this tent all set up so we can see the stars but no one else can see us. No roof, but we got these walls, all kinds of privacy. You like it?”

            Cas turned on his side, capturing Dean’s lips, pulling him close and nuzzling the space between his throat and shoulder, “It is perfect, you did this for me?”

            “Sure I did,” Dean smiled, “I want you to feel safe, but not trapped. I had this old tent and I thought, why would you need the top on a nice night like this? And I thought, Cas would love this…glad I was right.”

            “You were right,” Cas fell against Dean’s chest, curling his tail around him, looping his lower fin around his legs as if to pull him closer.

            Dean gathered him as close as possible, the cold expanse of Cas’ tail worked like a balm as he threaded his fingers through Cas’ salty hair. He pressed his lips to the top of his head, moving down his forehead, and then kissing his lips. He would have locked a leg around his waist but Cas had his limbs wrapped up around his tail. Not that he was complaining, there was an odd warmth about Cas’ body and given their limited time together he wanted to soak it up.

            “I do not want this to end. I want you always.” Cas murmured, burrowing closer to Dean’s chest.

            “I do to.” he said it just like that, because ‘I love you’ was far too scary to say out loud. Even though it was true. But he was scared because how could this be a thing? How could he be with someone who couldn’t even be on line. He managed to squelch the feelings. Wanting only to be in the moment, “We got all weekend, huh? So sleep. It was a stressful day.”

            “Dean,” Cas began, tail twitching, “I do not wish to be with anyone else. I have never felt as such.”

            Dean’s heart lurched for his usual reasons, but then it was lurching for reasons he wasn’t used to. He felt the same.

            “We’ll cross that bridge when we get there sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Review lovelies!


	5. Drowning In You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas have lovey dovey times. Cas loves Dean's legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry dear readers for such a late update and also sorry this is only about 7 pages but it's sweet and sexy and I think you'll like it :) Thank you Reference_Hungry_MSUFG for the inspiration, sorry darling this took so long! But it's HERE! I hope you like!

            It was Saturday, or at least Dean thought it might be Saturday as he slowly reached consciousness. Their three day weekend was moving in a blur. However, it was not the sun that had him owlishly blinking his eyes open, it was fingertips gliding up and down his legs like the tips of feathers. He managed to roll his eyes open fully when a fin added to the equation and it couldn’t be described any other way, Cas was petting him. Starting at the backs of his thighs, feathering down until that expanse of silky fin wrapped around his foot. Up and down, up and down.

            He squawked, lurching upwards on their makeshift bed, “Cas, what the hell are you doing?”

            “My apologies, I did not mean to wake you. Did I cause you pain? You jerked away from me,” Cas spoke, blues eyes wide and far too innocent.

            “No, it didn’t hurt, a little weird…” he yelped when Cas repeated the action, his skin lit with sensation, Cas’ head cocked sideways with curiosity, “Cas cut it out!”

            “Why do you react as such?” he was studying the goosebumps riddled over Dean’s flesh like it was some science experiment only one of them was understanding. It was odd because when Cas wasn’t in the water his flesh took on an almost powdery, silky feel. It was everything that was intoxicating that was for sure.

            When he could clearly see Cas was gonna do it again, he sat up and crossed his legs, “Dude, cause it tickles, not the best way to wake a guy up and it’s a good way to get kicked in the face.” he groused, rubbing both hands over his thighs to rid himself of the feeling that was border lining between arousing and annoying.

            “I do not know what that means, but again, my apologies,” he was already leaning into Dean’s space and kissing him stupid before Dean could protest any further. Cas’ kisses were an addiction, he craved them like one would food and if he could trade his legs for fins, or vice versa he’d do it in a heartbeat.

            Dean broke their kiss long enough to say, “You don’t know what that means?”

            Cas’ eyes were already wide and hopeful, hopeful for sex Dean would assume, touching, anything. That’s what those eyes said, “I have never heard of this term, no,” he chased Dean’s lips, and just that, chased. Dean pulled away and flipped the tables, rolling Cas onto his back and he went so easily too, “Well then, we’ve got some fun teaching ahead of us. You just lay back, gorgeous.”

            Dean knew he’d done good cause Cas was already panting as he pressed kiss after kiss down his heaving chest, his tongue making fast track to one pert nipple. Paying attention to one, for far too long he gathered, he switched to the other before giving it a gentle bite. He continued his trail south.

            “I don’t understand,” Cas murmured as Dean kissed around his rounded hip bones before flesh disappeared into scales.

            Dean’s theory on the powdery feeling of Cas’ scales was spot on, they were smooth and soft. He kissed everywhere except where Cas obviously wanted and began to skim his fingertips, featherlike, down, down his torso until he met the thin and silky end of his fins. He mimicked the touch Cas had achieved earlier and then Cas was yelping like he had.

            “What was that?!” Cas gasped, just on the cusp of a laugh.

            “That, sweetheart, is what I was talking about,” and then he was simply wriggling his fingers along the meatiest parts of his tail, before moving back up his body to pin his arms, to stop him from flailing out from beneath him, “You’re just as ticklish as I am, so the punishment for your ignorance is this.”

            “Dean!” he screeched when he worked fingers into his sides, he teased him only a few seconds before stopping.

            “ _That_ is what I’m talking about, so think twice about playing with my legs,” he winked.

            Cas made some semblance of a growl but simply melted when Dean closed the space between them and kissed.

            “Do you think that will stop me?” Cas was smiling against his lips, “Your legs are beautiful, intoxicating. I find myself at a loss of words because I have never seen a human stand the way you do.”

            “Now you’re just making fun of me,” Dean chuckled, back falling to the mattress and pulling Cas with him, his arms wrapped all around him and keeping him close.

            “I do not,” Cas frowned, pressing him firmly to the bed, he was already making that same trail that Dean had been doing only a moment before, soft, slow kisses that made goosebumps dance over his flesh like rolling earth.

            There wasn’t teasing like before as Cas’ lips grazed the inside of his thighs, his tongue sneaking out and flicking, in fact, he had to hide a moan. And he continued his track until he was receiving gentle nips at his knees, all the while Cas was spreading his legs wider, “May we do what we did the night before?”

            “Y-yeah, go for it, s-so you got a thing for my legs huh?” he tried for a light-hearted laugh and failed, head hitting the pillow behind him as he shamelessly moaned.

            “Indeed I do,” Cas purred, ignoring Dean’s request of what he was doing earlier, “I find the human form beautiful, this as well.”

            Dean nearly shot up from the bed when he felt lips on the swelling of his groin, “Cas, I’m not…” and the merman simply increased the pressure of his kiss, mouthing through the fabric of his boxers, damn near nuzzling.

            All the time during this lip action, Cas’s hands were caressing the flesh of his legs, inside and out, urging him wider as if to explore every inch that was south of his waist, gentle bites at his hips bones, “H-Hey I thought I was taking care of you.”

            “No,” Cas shook his head, their mouths suddenly joined, a webbed hand shoved down the front of his boxers, “I want to explore this body, again, you are beautiful. I have seen many a humans but not like you.”

            Dean was always a sucker for praise, and here and now, Cas was delivering flawlessly, “You keep that up, seriously sweetheart, I ain’t gonna last.”

            Before he could comprehend what was properly going on, his senses on overload, Cas was unsheathed and they were joined together. His length and Cas’ in one webbed hand.

            It was the texture of Cas’ penis that really did it. The tiny bumps against his own length coupled with an almost tortuously slow and languid stroking. The pressure was building and gaining strength, and it didn’t take long before he was crying out without even realizing it.

            Cas’ soft grunts following close after, and he was breathless and happily ignoring the mess between them, “Now that’s…how you wake… a guy up.”

            “I shall remember that in the future,” Cas grinned, wrapping his tail aptly around both of Dean’s legs as if taking him hostage in a way that made Dean laugh.

            “Whoa, what time is it?” he only realized now that it was dark out, sun setting orange and warm against the horizon.

            “Time?” Cas asked, lazily pecking kisses along his warm and damp shoulders.

            “Yeah, the time,” Dean closed his eyes, gaining his composure, “We must’ve fallen asleep early.”

            “Would you be so bothered to go for a nighttime swim?”

            “Might as well,” Dean smiled, gathering Cas as close as possible, “Clean up this mess you made.”

            The way Cas laughed after they were intimate was everything Dean had been searching for. Years. Probably since he was a teen. It was heavenly bells that seemed to make everything wrong in life, right.

            He gathered Cas up easily in his arms and then they were both jumping into the chilly water with an only semi-retort from his lover. He broke the surface of the water, carefully encircled in Cas’ arms, he swirled them round and round in the water, kissing his lips with ease.

            “I wish this was every day, all the time, without time apart,” Cas hummed, his cheek tepid against Dean’s.

            “Me too sweetheart, me too,” Dean exhaled slowly and deliberately, the water around his torso was like a blanket, and Cas’ honey-soaked voice was like a lullaby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Give me reviews, ideas, what do you want next?! I'm knee deep in gay merman stuff so I'll write!


	6. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas and Dean's relationship evolves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ya'll I'm SO happy to be updating this and I've already got an idea for the next chapter! This chapter is a little angsty and then there's a surprise ending ;) My good friend and fellow writer CassieWinchester inspired me to write tonight and she is an AMAZING artist and is sweet and gonna draw some Mer!Cas that I will share! As always thanks for all the kudos, bookmarks and subscribes but ESPECIALLY the reviews! If ya'll have any ideas let me know and I'll see if I can write it, this is a def work in progress haha

 

            Dean’s relationship with Cas was going on about two months now and he couldn’t have been happier, well, he could have if he could have Cas all the time. At home, at work, and especially on his arm for everyone to see. Because Castiel was beautiful, anyone with eyes could see that. Even his brother had commented that Cas was some kind of unworldly beautiful and then had blushed and stammered. That was a long day of giving him crap and it was hilarious Sam was tight-lipped with Jessica and Bobby about the whole thing, even covered for him a few times. This weekend was another special one, or one he hoped would be if Cas agreed. If he had been able to take him home before, why couldn’t he do that again? Having Cas in his space would be heaven.

            Currently Sam was showing Cas a vividly colored book on geography and animals, and he had to laugh to himself that his mer-boyfriend and brother were nerding it out on the large rock in the heart of the cove. It was completely out of sight from other boats and they were safe to talk and laugh as loud as they pleased. He was going as fast as he could to empty the nets into the hull of Bobby’s boat so he and Cas could get some alone time. Letting Sam sit and chat with him had been a trade, get some mer stories in exchange for taking the load home.

            “I’ve never been very far from home, it isn’t safe,” Cas was explaining, blue eyes going wider and wider with each turn of the page, “I’ve never seen so many of these creatures. But you have seen so many of mine, that isn’t fair.”

            “I’ll put some videos on my tablet and bring it out here and you can have a look, sorry about that Cas. Hey, you’ve seen some pretty cool thing too though, things I’ll never get to see except on TV. You’ve probably seen things I’ve never seen before too huh?”

            Cas gave a small shrug, “Perhaps, but so far, in these books, everything I’ve seen is here. However, there may be more out there, my brothers don’t like it when we go too far from home, this cove isn’t enough to get me into trouble. My father used to warn us about going to the surface.”

            This had Dean’s ears perking up, trouble? He could get into trouble? They had talked some about his brother and sisters but had never really mentioned a Dad. Maybe he was dead or maybe he just wasn’t around. He was going to go with the latter, because when he mentioned John, Cas got very quiet, his eyes going glassy.

            He dropped the net back into the water and hurried back to where Sam and Cas were talking, “Cas, what’s this about getting in trouble?”

            “Oh, well, um, not in trouble per say,” he took a breath, “My siblings are merely protective. I’ve been very careful that no one has seen me leave, it is merely ‘patrolling’.”

            Something in that statement made Dean’s stomach flip-flop, “Are you sure?”

            “I am sure,” and yes, Dean had only known this creature for a few weeks, but he knew a lie when he heard one, “Nothing will keep me from seeing you Dean, nothing.”

            “I’ll let you guys be alone,” Sam interrupted, closing up the books and wrapping them up in plastic, “I’ll get the catch back to Bobby’s, he’s definitely gonna want to know why I was gone so long and where you’re at. I’ll make up a date or something, that way you can spend the night here,” he gave a wink.

            Dean rolled his eyes, “Sure Sam, thanks.”

            “Yes, thank you Sam, I enjoy our time together. Thank you for bringing the books,” Cas was smiling widely, the merman loved surprises there was no denying there.

            As soon as he heard the engine fire up Dean scooped Cas up onto his lap, almost automatically did Cas’ tail wrap up and around his waist, “Wish I could take you home with me,” he said it out loud before thinking that through, after this little speech of ‘getting into trouble’ he wasn’t sure him taking Cas to his beach house would be a good idea.

            Cas nuzzled his throat, “I wish that as well, I find myself wishing more and more to be here with you…and not at home. That doesn’t make me bad does it?”

            “Of course not,” Dean hummed against his cheek, pressing his lips there, “Cas…you don’t talk much about your family, are they good to you?”

            “For the most part,” Cas huddled closer, his mouth pulled into a frown, “I’m the youngest and they are very busy maintaining our clan, they have yet to give me any real role, it gets very lonely sometimes. I don’t’ know…I feel…out of sorts at home.”

            Dean ran a set of fingertips through Cas’ salty strands, kissing his forehead, “I’m sorry sweetheart.” the thought broke his heart, Cas not having anyone to talk to.

            “I overheard Zachariah say that my mother’s death was my fault,” he pushed away only slightly, but enough that Dean could see that his eyes were glistening, “My mother died after I was born and then Father disappeared.”

            “It’s not your fault any of those things happened,” he cupped the other’s cheek, brushing a thumb beneath one eye, “Sounds like this Zach guy is a mega dick.”

            Thankfully that rewarded him a tiny chuckle, “You certainly have a way with words.”      “You can totally say no to this, but you wouldn’t maybe wanna go back to my beach house would you? Just for a couple days, then we wouldn’t have to worry about hiding. You said you don’t need to be in water to survive I just thought…”

            “Yes!” Cas spat, almost knocking them off the rock with how hard he threw his arms back around him.

            “Are you sure?” Dean laughed when Cas squeezed harder, “And you sure you won’t get in trouble being gone?”

            “No one will notice,” and Cas might have sounded sad but something told Dean he was too damn happy to be going home together to worry about his dick family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

            They were forced to wait until it was one: dark and two: no boats would be coming into shore, Dean explained, “Dead like I thought it would be,” he grinned, “You stay here I gotta get the boat tied up.”

            “Alright,” Cas nodded. It wasn’t that he was nervous, it was a mixture of that and excitement. He hadn’t lied to Dean but he hadn’t exactly told the entirety of the truth. There would be repercussions to him getting this close to a human, namely at him revealing where their clan resided. A thing he would never do.

            “Okay, let’s head inside, it’ll be nice to show you around and not just the bathroom,” he laughed softly. He wrapped Cas up in a tarp and blanket and with practiced ease led them down the dock and up the steps to Dean’s home. Everything had the feeling and smell of Dean, so much so, Cas thought he might cry. A silly notion really, but he felt enveloped by this man and he’d never felt happier or safer.

            Dean closed the door with his hip and carried him down the hallway, “This is the bedroom, one thing I splurged on when I moved in here was a nice bed. Memory foam,” he winked.

            “The bed remembers you? How is this possible? It is not sentient is it?” this caused his human to laugh loudly.

            “No, not like that, just means it’s real soft, see?” he set him to the surface, this was nothing like the inflatable bed on the boat.

            “Oh, that is lovely indeed, it smells like you,” he buried his face in one of the many pillows.

            “You’re like a puppy, I swear,” he shook his head with a smile, lying down next him and tucking him close to his chest. Out of pure habit Cas rubbed his cheek over Dean’s heart, “When you start feeling uncomfortable I’ll put you in the tub, just say the word.”

            “I should be fine until morning and again, it only makes me a bit uncomfortable, like say, overly dry skin,” he exhaled fully and happily.

            Dean skimmed his fingertips up and down Cas’ spine, “I’ll take you at your word, sorry we had to stay out there so late just wanted to make sure we were in the clear. You ready for bed?”

            Cas propped his chin up on Dean’s chest, grinning stupidly and he knew it, “Are _you_ ready for bed?”

            “Not even close,” Dean mirrored Cas’ wide smile and rolled him onto his back, the fin at his back flattening out to accommodate the position. Dean’s lips were perfection, his stance was beautiful, his freckles like a countless blanket of stars, but his heart most of all was the purest he’d ever encountered. Dean never pushed, was a wonderful listener and the man seemed more attune to Cas’ body than his own. He knew every way to touch that would make him squirm and moan. Now was no different.

            He watched, as he always did, as Dean traced those pink lips down his sternum, over each bump of each rib. With his too-warm tongue he dragged it achingly slow the seam of his flesh and scales. Besides his tail fins this was the most sensitive place on his body, perhaps other than his neck, and he could feel each nub of Dean’s taste buds. When those same plush lips feathered over his sheath he almost launched off the bed. He hadn’t done that yet. With that action he was quickly unsheathed and panting his human’s name over and over.

            His mouth felt scorching around his length, he’d said his lips were perfect but he now gladly gave that title to his tongue. He wasn’t sure where to put his hands, so they were everywhere, the iron headboard, then clenched in the sheets, then suddenly in the soft strands of Dean’s hair.

            Dean pulled away just as he was about to climax, he was scrambling with some drawer next to the bed covering his own member with the jelly-like liquid. When the man had gotten naked he didn’t know. He had been too lost with sensation as it hazed his vision.

            Dean’s wonderful lips were back to the thin flesh of his throat, stroking them in unison, this was more intense then the boat, Dean was all around him, filling up every sense.

            “Come for me sweetheart, come with me,” Dean’s voice vibrated against his lips.

            With a guttural whimper Cas did as told, their seed mixing together against their abdomens. Dean worked him carefully through his orgasm, lightening his touch until he was empty. Deans was equally wrecked, his hot breath huffing against Cas’ throat.

            “I love you Dean,” Cas trembled, his body shaking from crown to fin. Silence filled the room and Cas’ heart began to beat wildly he opened his mouth to speak but then Dean stopped him with a kiss, his clean hand running through his dark hair.

            “I love you too,” Dean nearly whispered, “I love you so much.”

            Mess be damned, Cas pulled him forward, locking lips and tangled their tongues, “You do?”

            “Been wanting to say it for days now, but didn’t wanna scare you,” Dean chuckled between kisses.

            Cas’ eyes were burning now, fiercely so, “I’ve never said that to anyone before.”

            “Never felt like this before either,” Dean murmured into his damp curls.

            “Me neither,” Cas choked.

            “Don’t cry sweetheart, don’t cry,” Dean’s hands were rubbing up and down his back in a soothing motion he didn’t know existed, “How about a bath now? We’re not sleeping in this.”

            Cas sniffled loudly and nodded, “Forgive me.”

            Dean kissed each one of his eyes, his nose and then his lips, “Nothing to be sorry about.”

            After that Dean carried him into the bathroom, and unlike the ocean water, this was warm. In that moment he was very sleepy to the point where he did actually fall asleep, Dean’s gentle fingertips running over his body with something called ‘coconut’ body wash. Now he knew why Dean smelled the way he did, that and his natural scent that no perfume could smother.

            “Time for bed baby,” Dean whispered next to his ear, “Gonna be a good sleep.”

            He was dry and clean and indescribably content, wrapped up and warm and safe in Dean’s arms.

 

            The remainder of the weekend was wonderful, Cas couldn’t exactly eat what Dean ate, nothing but a few bites of this or that. Human food was far too harsh on his stomach. Dean had gone to something called Fresh Thyme to get ‘rabbit food’, he’d gotten help from Sam on that one. ‘Monday’ as his human referred to it as came much too fast. He would have to return to the ocean, he had been sent out on a patrol type job, a ‘job’ that was just swimming. At first he’d been furious to been given such a menial task, now, however, he loved it. Gave him the excuse and reasoning for being gone from home.

            He was in tears once more as Dean took them back to the cove. They sat on that same large, lava colored rock as Cas fell apart like some hatchling. He hadn’t ever allowed another person to seem him in such a state, that only made him cry harder.

            “I don’t want to leave you,” he cried against Dean’s shoulder, tears were closer and easier to let fall since their ‘I love yous’ this was more difficult than he could have ever imagined.

            “I know baby, I know, but I’ll be back at the end of the week, we can even go back to my place again. I’ll call in sick Monday and we’ll have another long weekend, alright? I promise,” he was kissing him through the tears and Cas didn’t bother to fight them anymore. He wrapped his arms around him tightly, hiding his face against the musky smell of his shoulder.

            The sounds of his soft cries were interrupted by a voice, “Cassie, Cassie, Cassie,” the voice quipped, “What have you gotten yourself into?!”

            “G-Gabriel I can explain,” Cas stuttered, his fingers clenched in Dean’s flannel hoodie.

            Gabriel’s golden eyebrow rose and he scoffed, “Yeah, talk quick.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews are forehead kisses for a crying Cas!


	7. Mystery of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel has a talk with Cas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to CassieWinchester, her art is adorable and she made it just for me. Here be Mer!Cas! Anyhoo I'm going to go with Sabriel because it CALLS to me. I hope you like this chapter it is a fluffgasm fo sho. Sexiness in the next chapter ;) Thank you all for the reviews, kudos, bookmarks, subscribes. You guys ROCK

Cas couldn’t catch his breath.

            “When I mean talk quick? I mean talk really, really quick,” Gabe snapped, his golden colored fin flitting water over both Cas and Dean, “You know what kind of danger you put us all in?!”

            “G-Gabe I swear, he’s safe, he would never cause harm to our clan,” Cas mustered, heart clenching in his chest and he almost felt at is he would vomit.

            “You _would_ fall for a human,” he nodded, rolling his eyes and swimming in circles, “I KNEW something was up with you! You have never acted so shady, so, _human_ , you got some magic appendage that has my little brother abandoning his family?”

            “Gabriel!” Cas snapped, “You are hardly one to say that you are completely loyal! You nearly married a siren!”

            Gabriel huffed loudly, but stopped his pacing, “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

            “I kept that secret, didn’t I?” Cas said, “I didn’t tell anyone…because you thought you were in love.”

            “What are you trying to say little brother?”

            “I’m in love with him,” Cas said, wetting his too dry lips and clinging to his human, he didn’t even care that his tail was in bad need of water, his scales pulled and pinched making him flinch, “I love him, this isn’t some fling, like so many you have engaged in.”

            “You love him?” Gabriel asked, head cocking to the side, “You sure about that or is it just the whole ‘I’m a virgin thing’”

            Cas felt his cheeks fill with heat and his heart beating too fast, “NO!” he turned to Dean, whose too green eyes were wide and worried, “I-I love you it’s not that I haven’t been with anyone I just…”

            “Cas,” Dean stopped him, rough fingertips to his lips to hurriedly halt his doubts, “It doesn’t matter, I love you, you love me, right?”          

            “Yes,” Cas croaked, tears bubbling at the corner of his eyes, “I love you very much and now…”

            “Hey, hey, hey,” Gabriel’s voice interrupted as well with his slapping fin, “I see it. I see it clear as day, I’m not gonna rat on you. You wanna get down here so I can properly talk to you? You’re looking really uncomfortable, when was the last time you were in the sea?”

            “Um,” Cas cleared his throat, “Two days ago but Dean puts me in a basin, it is enough.”

            Gabriel only huffed in irritancy but kept his mouth shut as Cas reluctantly plunged into the salty water, relief instant, “Better?”

            Cas’ cheeks felt hot again, “Yes, will you truly not tell anyone?”

            “You’ve always had my back, always been in my corner, I won’t tell,” his eyes were back up at the human sitting on the edge of the boat, “That is if I think things are still going okay and you’re not just tricking him into all this.”

            “I would never do that,” Dean began, voice laced with anger, but Gabriel was interrupting.

            “We’ve had merfolk come up missing, no explanation, no evidence to their whereabouts except they went to the surface. You guys have a knack for destroying everything you touch, so excuse me if I’m testy.”

            Dean’s brow was knitted, face pinched, “I’m not everybody. I’m one man and I would never hurt Cas, ever.”

            “Alrighty, so this is how it’s gonna go,” he turned Cas by the elbow, and then was swimming in small circles before staying stationary, “You have got to be a helluva lot more careful sneaking off. I’ll try to get you more patrol jobs, but Zachariah is gonna start noticing if you don’t stop flitting off WAY too happily to perform a menial job. You’re as innocent as they come Castiel and you give your feelings away way too easily.”

            Cas’ throat seized up, no, he hadn’t really been away that he swam in happy circles that moved him fast through the water, towards Dean, towards his happiness, “Yes, brother, I’ll be more careful. Thank you.”

            There was the signature growl of Sam’s small motor boat, no doubt taking care of the daily haul he’d promised to take care for Dean. He wasn’t sure if Gabriel had even heard it, but when Sam’s bright and happy face appeared above the two of him, he sank out of habit with a loud gasp that echoed off the stone walls of the cove.

            “Whoa!” Sam exclaimed, but Cas sank too.

            “Gabriel, wait, that is Dean’s brother he is just as kind,” Cas had managed to catch him by the arm, “He’s safe!”

            “Castiel this is dangerous, two humans?! As if one wasn’t bad enough?”

            “He’s like you, he only wants Dean to be happy and keeping me a secret is apart of that. I swear, I’ve been very smart about this,” he pleaded, the water felt too cold and suffocating today doing nothing to assuage his anxiety, “Do you trust me?”

            Annoyance flickered over Gabriel’s face, his golden hair swirling above his head like a halo, “Of course I do, but you can be a pretty big dumb-ass when you’re blinded by love, never forget that.”

            “I know,” Cas smiled sheepishly, “Come on, come meet him you’ll like him I swear.”

            “Cassie…” Gabriel began to scold.

            “Please? For me?”

            Once more Gabriel was rolling his eyes, but it was good-hearted, “Oh Cassie, it’s those big blue eyes that do it, no wonder the poor smuck is in love with you. You always were a hopeless romantic.”

            “Don’t you think that’s partially your fault?” Cas grinned, he felt and heard the big splash and knew that Dean had jumped off the boat in a panic. He met Dean eye to eye beneath the wave, his human holding his breath and eyes wide with worry. Without asking he pulled Dean to the surface.

            “You scared the crap out of me Cas! I thought he was dragging you back home,” Dean flustered, rubbing the sea water out of his eyes.

            “Of course not,” Cas frowned.

            “Everything okay? Sorry,” Sam gestured to Gabriel who was only now breaking the surface of the water, “I-I didn’t mean to scare you, hey, I swear I won’t ever put you guys in danger. Cas is growing on me, kinda like a little brother really.”

            Gabriel was staring up at the taller human with a kind of awe that had Cas fighting a smile, “Sam, this is Gabriel, my older brother.”

            Sam waved in his ever ‘dorkishly’ way, as Dean described it, “Hiya Gabriel, sorry I scared you.” he said again.

            “Wowsa, they grow’em tall up on land,” Gabriel inhaled, “And damn,” his eyes were scanning down and then up, and down again, “Double damn, Cassie, you sure you didn’t try for both?”

            Sam was choking on, well, nothing really but then his cheeks were redder than red.

            “Gabriel, don’t be rude,” Cas chastised, wrapping his arms around Dean to keep him floating, close and safe.

            “How is that rude?” Gabriel retorted, swimming closer to the boat, and holding onto the lowered side-ladder, “You wanna come down here?”

            “Uh, why?”

            “Why not?” he winked, “Scared of me?”

            “Of course not,” Sam swallowed roughly, “I-I just didn’t wana make you uncomfortable.”

            Gabriel shrugged, “Why would you make me uncomfortable, don’t think I’ve ever met a human as tall as you.”

            “Come on Sammy, just, do as he says, he’s being cool with this,” Dean gestured between Cas and himself.

            Sam was still blushing, but removed his shoes and was soon climbing down the ladder and lowering into the water, “That better?”

            Cas wanted to scold Gabriel for how fast he swam over to Dean’s younger brother, “Wowsa,” he was repeating, “You are _pretty_ …do all humans grow out there hair like this?” and without permission he was running fingers through it, head cocked to the side and observing in his ‘Gabriel way’.

            Sam managed a nervous laugh, “I-Is he always like this?”

            “I’m afraid so,” Cas sighed.

            “So,” Gabriel drew out the ‘o’ with deliberation, “You doing the nasty with those long legs with anyone up on land?”

            Cas was sure he could hear Sam gulp, “No! What? I mean no, it’s not like that but yeah uh, yeah, I-I’m seeing a woman…”

            Cas started to warn the taller human what his flirtatious brother was about to do, but Gabe just wound his arms around Sam without another word situating himself in the human’s space without permission, “That is a damn shame Sammy-Boy.”

            Sam cleared his throat loudly, kinda forced to hold onto his older brother as he almost sunk out of shock and then was taking hold of the ladder once more, “W-What?”

            “Castiel,” he turned slightly to face him, letting the other human go with obvious great reluctance, “He is adorable, is _he_ like this?” he pointed to Dean.

            Cas was trying not to smile, “They are both sweet in nature yes, but different.”

            “Aw, look at you, all pink cheeked. I’ll make a deal,” he swam closer to Sam, who looked like cornered prey, “I’ll keep this between all of us, if Sammy here agrees to come and visit me now and again. You were saying he was giving you information on the human world I wouldn’t mind learning some of that too. And it doesn’t hurt that you’re easy on the eyes.”

            “Gabriel!” Cas finally growled, “That is _not_ fair,” he said even though he knew it was more joking than anything.

            “Please?” he batted his eyes at Cas and then Sam, “I’ll even keep my hands to myself.”

            Sam inhaled shakily, “On one condition,” he countered, “If you do the same. If we’re swapping info you gotta do the same.”

            Gabriel was truly grinning now, and swiped his fingers down Sam’s arm, earning him a slight flinch “Deal sweetheart. Well,” he began, “I better get going, I’ll get that cover story started for you Cassie. Throw Zach off your scent. Have fun love-birds, I’ll give you an extra day, ya know how good a liar I am,” he winked, “Have fun kids, catch you later Sammy.”

            And he was gone.

            “Sam I am truly sorry, my brother is tenacious and overly flirtatious, he means no harm I promise you. You do not need to meet with him he was merely being…an…” he searched for swear words in his memory, of things Dean had said, “He was being an assbutt.”

            Dean busted out laughing, nearly losing his hold on Cas’ waist, “Ass butt?”

            “Is that not accurate? Or appropriate?”

\           “For you?” Dean grinned, “Completely appropriate.”

            “It’s okay Castiel,” Sam said, sounding like he could finally breathe fully, “He’s not the first person I’ve dealt that’s been that forward. I can handle it.”

            “I know you have a mate and that was highly inappropriate,” Cas frowned, and with that said, he kissed Dean’s temple and then his cheek, without being able to help it he was nuzzling as if to assure.

            “Well, uh, she’s not my _mate_ , we’ve been dating a few weeks but…” and then again he was flustered, “It’s fine I know he’s just one of those people…types…whatever. I came here to tell you guys that I told Bobby you were staying out here. I brought you some food,” he said to Dean, “And a couple changes of clothes.”

            Cas’ chest filled with appreciation and adoration, “Thank you Sam, Dean?”

            “Another day with you sweetheart,” he was grinning ear to ear, “Awesome.”

            “You guys have fun,” Sam said, climbing up the ladder, and then his cheeks were red again and Dean was laughing, “Ya know, whatever, fucking jerk.”

            “Bitch,” Dean answered affectionately, “Another long day and night with you? Amazing…awesome.” and his human was kissing him so perfectly, tongue tangling with his own that he sank without thought. Dean was sputtering water from his mouth.

            “Sorry, Dean, sorry.”

            “Are you kidding me? Making you lose concentration while kissing? That’s a fucking compliment, now why don’t we get up there and I make you forget your name.”

            Cas full-body shuddered and was nodding with enthusiasm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do ya'll wanna see? Suggestions wanted! PLEASE REVIEW! Reviews are kisses to Cas' adorable cheeks <3

**Author's Note:**

> GUYS GIVE A REVIEW


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